Vehicle wheel



G. C. R. KUIPER VEHICLE WHEEL Filed Nov. 7. 1929 I INVENTOR. GERHARD C.l2.l

UIPER. BY 3 y j AIITORNEY.

Patented Oct. 6, 1931 .AUNITEVDQ STATES osmium .c. n. xnrrm, or INnrANAroms, INDIANLIASSIGNQB '1'0 BUDD WHEEL cou- PAT NT OFFICE I FANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A conronArron or PENNSYLVANIA VEHICLE wmr.

Application filed November 7, 1929. Serial No. 405305:

This invention relates to demountable vehicle wheels of the disk type and is directed more particularly to improvements in the construction thereof so as to render the same suitable for use as airplane landing wheels.

Among the principal objects of the present invention is the provlsion of a single disk typeof vehicle wheel which is not only very economical and simple in construction but which is also extremely light in weight without any sacrifice in strength.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vehicle wheel which embodies as an integral element thereof a concealed brake "drum, this brake drum being so arranged and disposed relatively to the body of the wheel as to facilitate thestream lining of the latter in order to generally enhance the external appearance thereof. A still further object of the invention is the provision of a vehicle wheel the rim of which is circumferentially continuous in extent, one portion of this rim being formed integrally with the body of the-wheel and the other portion thereof-integrally with the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereina'fter, as shown in the accompanying drawing and as finally pointed out in the claim.

' vention, it will be observed-that the wheel,-

In the accompanying .drawing,which shows a preferred form of and which is merely il-.-

lnstrative of the general principles of the in-' which is constructed inaocordance with this invention and designated enerally by the reference numeral 10, is adapted to be demountably secured or attached in the usual outer wall 23 of the brakedrum channel 20 manner to the annular flange '11 of the wheel hub 12. The central portion of the wheel disk proper is ofsubstantially plane formation, as at 13, while the outer marginal por tion thereof is rolled or otherwise fabricated to provide a circumferentially extending channel presenting outwardly of the body of the wheel. The base wall 14-of this channel lies substantially in a. plane extendin at right angles to the central axis of the w eel and substantially paralleling the plane central portion 13. The inner wall 15 of this channel is curvilinear in form and extends between the central plane portion 13 of the disk and the base wall 14 of the channel.- The outer wall 16 of the channel extends axially'of the wheel and during the forma tion of said channel is provided with a radially extending flange 17, the latter being shown in the drawing in broken lines. 7 This radially extendin flange 17 is adapted to be subsequentlyroll ed or otherwise bent back upon itself, as at 18, to form a circumferentially extending rim.fla nge,.it being understood that the annular outer wall 16 of the channel formed in the disk body constitutes a part of the wheel rim. 1

Suitably secured to-the base wall 14 of the channel formed in the wheel body, as by the rivets 19 or by welding, is a rolled annular channel 20 of substantial U cross-section the mouth of which is presented in a direction opposite to that of the channel formed in the wheel body. This annular channel 20 is 7 provided with a base wall 21 which is'adapted to be'superposed against and secured to the outer plane portion 14 of the wheel disk, it being observed that the portions 21 and 14, when secured together in the manner just described, are disposed substantially in the verticalload plane of the wheel. The inner wall-22 of therolled channel 20 is arranged concentrically with respectto the wheel axis and serves as a brake: drum therefor. The

extends axially of the Wheel and in a direction opposite to that of the corresponding wall 16*of the 'wheel body proper. As in the case of said annular wall 16,.the annular wall 23 is also provided with a radially extending 9 '5 flange 18 to retain in pneumatic tire in position upon the vs heel rim. will-be observed that these rlm' flanges are of substantiallytubular construction and in, orderto further inner radial extremity, and fairings connecting the extremities of said rim to the inner radial portion of the main body and the axial flange of said second rim section respectively, whereby tv give said wheel a stream line efiect.

I In testimony whereofxl hereunto aflix my" signature.

- general 'spiritior principles. thereof a ndlitis" rfiaccordlngly intended. to claim the invention reinforce and strengthenthe'same the inner sides-thereof are eachprovidedw'itha series of circumferentially spaced depressions orindentati0ns'26L V In order to complete and generally enhance the external appearance of..the whel;a pair of dislzs 27 and 28', preferably: of sheet aluminnm, areemployed' torespectivelycover themeuths of the oppositely presentingichannels-formed in the outer marginal portion of the'wheel. The outer marginal edges of these Q. disks-27 and 28 are preferably Welded-to the rim flanges 18' and respectively,whilethe inner edges-thereofare'respect'ively secured to the Wheel diskby'the screws 29 and to the outer edge ofthe brakedrum 22by the screws By combining, asshown in the figure, a wheel disk having an integrally formed rim portion with a rolled-brake drum having an integrally formed rinrprtion, a complete vwheel structure of thedisktype is secured which consists of a minimum number of parts, thereby reducingconsiderably the cost of manufacturing the same at the same time p that the weight thereof ieredncedto .a rhiniin1nm Without the sacrifice of necessary strength and ri gidity. The construction furthermore provides for a concealed brake drmn. and a'rirn which is circumferentially continuous in extent. In addition to-th-is, by

-forming the brake drum integrally with the rim the brake torque is transferred directly 7 -to the rim Without subjectingthehub to und-ue strains and stresses, this latter-fleeing an Important deside'ratum in the-. design 'ofi've- :ihicle Wheel. a v

It Will-be understood;- of coursethat'various changes in the invention may be made from time to time Withoutv departing iron-i the GERHARD e. R. KUIPERY. -7

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broadly, aswellaspecifical-ly, as indicated by the appended claim. I What is claimed as new and useful is z-' 55 A vehicle Wheel comprising, .in combina- -tron, a main body inthe form ofa web whose: inner radial portion liesuin a'. plane 'spaced the mid-planeiof'the. wheel, said-web being bent diagonally axially. inwardly and a then radially outwardly-beyond"saiddimer radiahportion, said w-eb terminating" in a relatively thin gauge section constituting an annular portion of rim, a second annular rim part secured tosaidi radiallyiontwardly extending portion: of said main body and i' ih'aving an axially extending flange at its 

